Watkins, Howard Clifton

Howard Clifton Watkins was born in Calgary, Alberta in what is now the district of Glamorgan on December 5, 1913. He died in Calgary 94 years and 5 days later on Monday, December 10, 2007.

Howard started school at Sunalta School in Scarboro in 1918 and finished at Western Canada High School in the early thirties. His father, William Watkins, purchased a lubricating oil distribution company in 1929 (Velvet Oil Company) and Dad went to work with grandfather in the 1930s. Velvet Oil Company sold lubricating products to customers in Western Canada. The Company prospered and Dad ultimately acquired the business from his father in the 1940s. Howard’s sister and brother-in-law were on a ferry (the “Caribou”) from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland and were enjoying their honeymoon when they were torpedoed by an enemy submarine. Dad immediately joined the Air Force but was sidelined due to an injury, whereupon he became a bomber trainer at the RCAF air force base here in Calgary on land where Mt. Royal College is now located. In July, 1945, he and June were married and began their fifty-two years together before June passed away in November, 1997. Howard Watkins was an outdoorsman. He was a fisherman, a hunter and a trail rider. Indeed, one of his favourite pursuits was with the Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies, an organization which holds annual trail rides into Banff National Park. He was president twice, in 1962 and 1973, and was frequently the master of ceremonies for one or more of the annual rides. Dad was one of the original charter members of The Glencoe Club in 1931, where he enjoyed playing badminton on Saturday afternoons.

Dad is survived by his three sons and daughters-in-law, Donald and Sharon of Calgary, Gordon and Tamalee of Canmore, and Stuart and Dolores of Okotoks, as well as three grandchildren, Steven, Charlotte and Janessa, all of Okotoks.

Funeral Services will be held at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church (1121 – 14th Avenue S.W.) on Friday, December 14, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Calgary Health Trust – Foothills Medical Centre, Suite 800, 11012 MacLeod Trail S.E., Calgary, AB T2J 6A5, Telephone: (403)943-0615, www.thetrust.ca. The family wishes to thank all of the staff at the Foothills Medical Centre, Unit 72 for all of their excellent service.